Lamp joint and adapter



June 7, 1938. v. FOLLI-:T l 2,119,987

LAMP JOINT AND ADAPTER Filed March 10, 1937l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 7, 1938. v, FOLLET 2,119,987

LAMP JOINT AND ADAPTER Filed March 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fatented June 7, *1938" UNITED STATES LAMP JOINT AND ADAPTER Vermont Follet, Elmhurst, Ill., assignor to Standard Screw Company, v poration of New Jersey Hartford, Conn., a cor- Application March 10, 1937, Serial No. 129,929 z'clims. (ci. 2x5- 1)l This invention relates to a joint or connection primarily intended for use with electric lamps or in connection with ixtures through which an electric conduit or cord passes.

It has for one object to provide in such a joint means for preventing excess rotation which should be harmful to the electric wires. It has for another object to provide a joint, cheap and easy of assembly. It has for another object to provide a joint which, having once beentassembled, cannot thereafter be disassembled except by destruction.

It has for another object to provide a. joint of this general type particularly adaptable for use where the members'of the joint, after having been made, are cast into or surrounded by an outer coating or member which may have an ornamental appearance.

Another object is to provide in connection with such joints an adapter unit by means of which one or more of the objects above mentioned may be attained in connection with a joint which originally was not a swinging joint.

A further object is, therefore, toprovide an adapter unit complete in itself and available for insertion into a lamp to adapt or convert it from a non-swinging to a swinging lamp. ,I

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

The invention is more or less diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings. wherein:'

Figure 1 is a section through one form of lamp embodying my joint;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken at line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view generally similar to. Figure 1, showing a modiiied form of joint;

Figure 5 is a view in elevation showing the membersof the joint of Figure 4 separately;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a form of rigid lamp in which no swinging of the arm or bracket can occur;

Figure 7 is a similar sectional view showing the lamp after conversion into a swinging arm lamp by the insertion of the adapter;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the adapter or converter unit of Figure 7.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the speciiication and drawings.

I indicates a column or pipe which forms a outer end of the pin I2 are continuous in conpart of a lamp standard and through which a wire or conduit, not shown, passes from a current source to a lamp.

2 is an ornamental louter tube or jacket` and 3 is a collar which may have a down-turned flange t. This collar lits snugly about the tube -I and positions and secures in place the outer tube 2. As shown in the several iigures the tube I is preferably threaded as at 5 at its upper end.

In the form of Figures 1, 2 and 3, the joint 10 comprises an inner section 6, hollow and internally threaded at 'l to engage the threads 5 of the tube I. An annular groove 8 is cut in the exterior of the member 6. An annular groove 9 is cut in one end, in this case the up- 15 per end, of the member 6, and in it a pin I0 is seated.

An outer or surrounding hollow member II is shaped on its interior to iit snugly about the member 6. It is provided with a pin I2 which passes through a suitable perforation in its wall and penetrates into the groove 8 in the member 6. At the time of assembly this pin is positioned within it and is preferably driven into the perforation in the wall of the member II so as to t permanently therein. Its outer end may be knurled, threaded or otherwise shaped to engage tightly and permanently in the wall. The exterior of the wall and the surface of the tour. The member II also carries a pin I 2a, permanently secured in it and so positioned as to fit into the groove 9 when the parts are assembled and to prevent excess rotation. Relative rotation of the parts is thus limited by the contact of the pins I0 and I2a. The upper end of the outer member II may be closed as at I3 or left open if desired. An interiorly threaded, laterally directed opening-I4 may be made in the wall of the member II 'as shown in Figure 1 and may receive the correspondingly threaded end of a hollow arm or bracket I5 which carries the lamp in any manner desired.

Surrounding the joint members above described is cast an ornamental portion I6 which may, for example, be of White 'metal or other metal, and may be die cast or otherwise made. In the particular form shown in Figure 1 this member I6 has an upwardly extending ornamental member I'I which may have an interiorly threaded, upwardly facing hollow portion I8 to receive another ornament.

In the modified form shown in Figure 4 thel internal member oi' the joint is the same as that shown in Figure 1. The external member is K l (f ber 23 is cast or otherwise formed about the joint. It has provided within it a cavity 24 which may be internally threaded as at 25 to receive the correspondingly threaded end of a pipe or tube 26 which carries the lamp.

From the abovel it is clearthat the internal construction of the joint is the same, whether in the form of Figure 1 or of Figure 4. The difference is primarily that of length of the outer or enclosing part.

As shownin Figure 6, the lamp standard is the same as that shown ln and described in connection with the other flgures, except for the fact that the tubeI may extend upwardly beyond the outer tube 2 somewhat farther. An ornamental member 21 may be positioned about the upper endofthe tube I and upon thev upper surface of the member 3.. A hollow lamp arm or bracket 28 is suitably threaded to engage the threaded upper end 5 of the tube I and when screwed into place holds the parts as'shown. No provision is Vmade for rotation.

When it is desired to convert the device into a1 rotary or swinging lamp the arm 23 is removed,

the' ornamental member 214 is removed and the central tube is preferably threaded from its end to a point adjacent the upper surfac'e of the member 3. It may then be cut off to the length shown in Figure 7 and the adapter o'r converter'unit is put in place. This unit comprises parts generally similar in their interior design and construction to those shown and described in connection with the preceding figures. 'I'heir exterior contour may differ. Thus there is a lower and interior member 29 having a laterally extending flange 30 t which contacts the upper surface of the member 3. The interior of the member 29 may be threaded as at 3l to engage with the threading 5 yof the pipe or l'tube I. An annular'groove 32 ,is formed about the exterior of the memberh28. A second annular groove 33 is formed in its upper end and a pin 34 is secured in the member 29- so as to project into this groove. An outerA or surrounding member 35'flts snugly upon and about the member 29 and may be provided as shown withv an ornamental exterior.A Itis hollow and its upmay swing within the limits of they adapter just outer end is shaped to conform to the contour of the exterior of the member 35. A second pin 39 is positioned within the member 35 and so as to extend into the groove/33 and to contact the pin 34 so as to limit relative rotation of the two parts.

'I'he use and operation of my invention are as follows; j

The parts of the joint, whether in the long form` of Figure 1 or i,the shorter formv of Figure 4, or in the form ofthe adapter of Figures 6, 7 and 8, generally have their internal arrangements the same. There is an inner part andan outer part,

rlike to receive still further ornamentation or apand anoutwardly projecting pin in the opposing face of each of the members. Thus in one form of the invention thereis an upwardly projecting member extending toward the opposing surface of the outer member and there is a downwardly 5 projecting pin or part on the opposite surface of the outer member. Whether there is a groove or not and no matter what the particular construction of these parts is, they are, in effect stop members and are arranged to contact each other upon suflicient relative rotation of the parts and to limit this rotation and prevent the occurrence of rotation beyond that of 360. In practice the possible rotation is slightly less than a full circle.- Some form of groove or other depression is ordinarily formed inthe outer surface of the inner member and a pin or analogous member projects inwardly from the inner surface of the outer member into this groove. The pin permits rotation but prevents separation of the parts and is preferably driven into place 'so that it cannot be removed except by destroying the parts.v Ordinarily its outer end is shaped to conforrnto theA contour of that part of the outer member around it and frequently its location cannot be detected by any but the most minute inspection ofthe 'joint as a whole.

' pleted it has cast about it a suitable housing or ornamental part which encloses vand conceals it This ornamental housing or enclosure may also support a bracket or tube and may, if desired, have cast in it members such as sockets and the paratus.

As above noted, the internal details of the adapter lare preferably the same as those of the I joint. When the adapter is to be used, a lamp which is not swinging'or rotary is partially. disassembled andv the adapter is inserted between the lamp column or`base and the lamp arm. It is preferably screwed onto the top of the inner tube of the lamp column but may be secured otherwlse. Once. it hasbeen secured in place, for example as shown in Figure '1, the arm or bracket against which the grooved and of said first mentioned part abuts, an obstruction form/ed on said shoulder and penetrating within said annular groove and adapted to contact said first men- 7 and thus further prevents its being taken apart. l y

tioned obstruction to limit Vthe extent of relative rotary movement between the first and second mentioned parts, a pin carried by said second mentionedvpart and extending Within the cylindrical recess thereof and penetrating the circumferential groove in said first mentioned part, said` pin permitting rotation of the parts and holding them against axial separation, and a metal envelope cast over and around said second mentioned part and covering the region thereof which supports said pin whereby to prevent access thereto from the exterior of the joint.

2. A swivel joint comprising an inner member and an outer member surrounding said inner member throughoutthe major portion of the length of said inner member, said outer member having an inner l shoulder against which the upper end of said inner member abuts, said shoulder and the upper end of the inner member having opposed bearing surfaces, one of Vsaid surfaces being provided with a circular channel, stops penetrating said channel from each of said members, whereby relative rotation of said members is limited to a. predetermined arc, a channel in the outer face of said inner member, a stop in said outer member, penetrating said channel, and means for preventing exterior access to said stop.

VERMONT FOLLET. 

